Author: Kerry

Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: “‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?
Matthew 21:42

Laying a Cornerstone

There were so many reasons that people rejected Jesus.

Some found him far too ordinary for his claims. They had grown up with him in Nazareth. They knew his mother, brother, and sisters. He was just too normal, and so they rejected him.

Others found his message of grace and forgiving scandalous. He ate and drank with sinners while rebuking the self-righteousness of the religious leaders of his day. His mercy was too much, and so they rejected him.

Still, others thought his message was too exclusive. Jesus preached that he is the way, the truth, and the life. Jesus said that he was the only way to the Father. His road was too narrow, and so they rejected him.

For countless others, though, they saw Jesus as their only source of hope in an uncertain world. For women like Mary Magdalene, disciples like Philip, and men like Nicodemus, they saw Jesus as essential for their lives. They realized that with him, they had everything. Without him, they had nothing. He was the cornerstone of their lives. His love became their source of guidance. His forgiveness and grace became the standard upon which God would build their faith. The work he accomplished made eternal life theirs.

Jesus is your hope, as well. While you may see many rejecting him, that does not change the fact that he is still the cornerstone. Believe in him. Build your life around him. With him, you have everything. Without him, you have nothing. The forgiveness he won for you means your relationship with God is restored, and eternal life in heaven is yours.

The cornerstone is set. You can say with the Bible writer, “The Lord has done this and it is marvelous in our eyes.”

Prayer:
Father, you have done this marvelous thing in making Jesus the cornerstone. Help me to trust in him alone. Amen.

“Listen to another parable: [Jesus said] There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place. When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit. “The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. Then he sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way. Last of all, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said.”
Matthew 21:33-37

Giving Up

At a certain point, you just have to cut your losses and move on. The car that has been in the repair shop multiple times this year might need to get sold. That house plant you have been trying to grow keeps dropping leaves, and it may need to get thrown away. Sometimes, you have to cut your losses and move on.

Jesus shared a parable about a landowner and his vineyard. In the parable, the tenant farmers who rented the vineyard from the landowner turned out to be rather terrible. Worse than being lazy or dishonest, they actually harmed or killed the servants the landowner sent to collect the rightful rent. You would expect the owner to give up on the renters, drive them out, and move on to new renters. Instead, the landowner sent his son to people who had mistreated everyone who has been sent to them.

This is precisely what God did after so many of the prophets he sent had been harmed or killed over the centuries. Instead of giving up on the people of this world, God sent his Son, Jesus, to save the people of this world, including you.

Isn’t it comforting to know that you have such a loving God, one who has not given up on you, one who sent his own Son to restore your relationship with him and give you eternal life in heaven? Spend this day being thankful you have a God who won’t give up.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank you for not giving up on me. Amen.

I will sing for the one I love a song about his vineyard: My loved one had a vineyard on a fertile hillside. He dug it up and cleared it of stones and planted it with the choicest vines. He built a watchtower in it and cut out a winepress as well. Then he looked for a crop of good grapes, but it yielded only bad fruit. “Now you dwellers in Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. What more could have been done for my vineyard than I have done for it? When I looked for good grapes, why did it yield only bad?”
Isaiah 5:1-4

Looking for Good Grapes

A friend of mine helped me become a wine snob. He suggested that I get some bottles of a particular wine made in a certain year. A wine magazine praised this selection. I promptly went out to purchase a few bottles at my local grocer.

My friend did not steer me wrong. This wine tasted excellent. When I returned to the grocery store, I looked for more of it. I found another bottle at a reasonable price and bought it. I tasted the new bottle of wine and found that it didn’t taste as good. Then I looked at the label and discovered I had just purchased a different vintage, a year that didn’t favor the grapes as much as the year I previously bought. So it goes with wine. Some vineyards in some years produce excellent grapes. The same vineyard in another year produces so-so grapes.

God compared his Old Testament people of Israel to a vineyard. He did everything possible to make them produce excellent spiritual grapes. Here’s what he found: “When I looked for good grapes, why did it yield only bad?” God looked for justice but saw bloodshed. He looked for righteousness but heard cries of distress.

God saw that nation the way he sees humanity today—people in whom he has invested his greatest care, but they keep producing bad grapes—sinful deeds contrary to his holy will. How much Israel and we today need the Master Gardener, Jesus Christ! He alone produced the good deeds acceptable to God. He alone got trampled in the winepress of God’s wrath for the sins of the world.

Marvel at God’s grace. Through Jesus Christ, God sees us as good. And by his Word, he works in us the ability to produce the good deeds that he desires.

Prayer:
Dear Father in heaven, make a good harvest of good deeds from the good vineyard you have planted. Through the love of Jesus my Savior, produce in me the excellence that gives glory to you. Amen.

When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terrible.” Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and heal him?” The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
Matthew 8:5-9

Precious Faith

What does faith look like?

We certainly can’t read other people’s hearts. Only God can do that. Still, the Bible tells us that faith shows itself in the way people speak and act. The Roman soldier in our Bible reading for today is a good example. As an army officer, he understood the power of command. He himself could order men and they would obey. Believing that Jesus was the Son of God, the centurion understood that Jesus could certainly order a thing and it would occur. When God commands a thing, it happens—whether it is the fall of snow or rain or the fall of nations. The centurion knew this and simply asked for God’s grace and mercy to fall on his sick servant.

His faith had the look of a man utterly and completely confident in God to answer any prayer.

That’s what faith looks like. Faith that is empowered by God’s Word trusts in the abilities of God to accomplish all things, even the most difficult and the impossible. God’s gift of faith instills confidence in the Lord’s promises. It comforts us with the peace of God’s favor. By faith, we are enlightened to see the grand purpose for our existence—to live in the glory of God. In faith, we walk in confidence on the way that God is taking us toward heaven.

How precious is faith in Jesus!

Prayer:
Lord, give me a faith that trusts your power and helps me to live confidently according to your loving kindness. Amen.

“‘I will not,’ [the man’s son] answered, but later he changed his mind and went.”
Matthew 21:29

What Our Father Wants

Jesus once told a story about a father who owned a vineyard. He expected his two sons to do their part for the family business. One day he told them, “There’s work to do in the vineyard. Go out to the vineyard right away and help out.”

The first son was rude and disrespectful. He said, “No, Dad, I don’t want to.” But the other said, “Yes, sir. Right away, sir.”

But later things changed. The first son had a change of heart. He felt bad about what he said. He thought about how his father loved him and realized that he could show appreciation for that love by obeying his father. So, he went to the vineyard and got to work.

But the second son, who said exactly what his father wanted to hear when he asked him to do something, never showed up for work.

After Jesus told the story, he asked, “Which of these two did what his father wanted?” Of course, the answer was the first son, the one who showed up to work in the vineyard.

How do we react when God tells us to do something? Are we sometimes like the second son? We hear what the Bible says, and we say, “Okay, I will do that.” We tell God or our parents, teachers, or pastor what we think they want to hear. But then we ignore or forget what we heard.

Or are we more like the first son? Our sinful hearts initially resist what God says. But, as we hear and see more about how he loves us, he changes our hearts. And our actions follow, as we gladly obey God.

God wants us to walk the walk, not just talk the talk. The good news is that Jesus walked the walk for us. He obeyed every one of God’s commandments. And he did what his Father wanted when he suffered and died as punishment for every time we disrespect or disobey God.

For Jesus’ sake, God forgives our stubborn disobedience and our empty lip service. And his undeserved love moves us to serve him joyfully and willingly with our lips and our lives.

Prayer:
Father, move me to serve you willingly in response to your patient love for me. Amen.

The one who sins is the one who will die . . . I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent and live!
Ezekiel 18:4,32

Not Fair

“It’s not fair!” Students complain when they all have to stay in from recess because a few students misbehaved. “It’s not fair!” Object family members who have to stay home from a planned outing because one child was not cooperating.

It’s not fair, but it is the reality of life in a sin-plagued world. We suffer consequences, not only for our own disobedience, but also for some of the wrongs that others commit.

The temptation we sometimes face is to blame God. “It’s not fair, God! Why should I have to suffer? I didn’t do anything wrong.”

Of course, if we looked closely at God’s legal code, we would realize that we are not as innocent as we want to believe. Each and every angry thought, each and every hurtful word, each and every selfish action makes us lawbreakers. Each one makes us guilty before God. And God’s law spells out the punishment for the crimes. It says, “The one who sins is the one who will die.”

But that same just God said, “I take no pleasure in the death of anyone.” He didn’t want to see us die for our sins. He doesn’t delight in seeing us suffer in this life, and he doesn’t want us to suffer when this life is over. And so he did something completely unfair. He sent his own innocent Son, Jesus, to suffer for us. He held Jesus responsible for our angry thoughts, hurtful words, and selfish actions. And he sentenced him to death—our death.

Because Jesus accepted the punishment for our sins, no guilt remains to be punished. God allows us to suffer only to draw us closer to him. He wants the suffering that we see in our lives to lead us to turn from our sins and seek his mercy—mercy he showed in sending Jesus to forgive our sins. Mercy that means life instead of death for all who trust Jesus as Savior.

Prayer:
God of mercy, turn my heart from sinful ways that, forgiven, I may have life with you. Amen.

Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, . . . then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
Philippians 2:1-4

Pay it Forward

You have heard of “paying it forward,” haven’t you? You respond to a kind deed done for you—maybe even by a total stranger—by doing something kind for someone else. Maybe you pay for the meal of the person in the drive-thru behind you. Without being asked, you shovel a neighbor’s sidewalk or rake their leaves.

Jesus showed us the ultimate kindness. He didn’t owe us anything. We didn’t deserve his mercy. We weren’t worthy of his time and attention. And yet, he showed us kindness and love, not by paying for our coffee or cheeseburger, but by paying for our souls. Not by doing a job, we didn’t have the time or strength to do, but by doing a job we could never have done for ourselves.

It was the ultimate act of humble service when Jesus, the Son of God, became a human being to live and die for human beings. It was the ultimate sacrifice of love when Jesus, a holy God, suffered, and died to pay for the debt of guilt that we accumulated. He didn’t put himself first. He put us first. What a gift! What humble and unexpected love!

Now the Bible urges us to act on that love. We can’t pay off our debt to God—we don’t have to; Jesus already did—but we can pay forward the love we have been shown by loving others. We can, like Jesus, humbly value others above ourselves. We can put the interests of others ahead of our own.

And when our love for others reflects Jesus’ love for us, we share a gift far greater than a free meal or an hour of time. We share a love that points people to the one who invites forgiven sinners to feast with him in eternity in heaven.

Prayer:
Jesus, you humbled yourself to show me undeserved love. Help me reflect your selfless love to those around me. Amen.

For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth.
2 Corinthians 13:8

Nothing But the Truth

Three weeks from today, citizens of the United States will go to the polls and vote. In local, county, state, and national elections, each citizen will choose candidates to represent and serve them in government.

For many, it will be a welcome end to a long election year. Through much of this year, TV and radio airwaves have been filled with candidates jockeying for position. They make claim after claim—about themselves, about their opponents, about the issues. They make promises about what they will do if elected.

Not all of their claims are true or honest. And they will likely not follow through on all of their promises. Voters are left trying to figure out whose claims lie closest to reality and whose reality they want for their community, state, or country.

Some people see the church the same way. People who claim to be Christians make all kinds of claims about what God says. Those claims don’t always agree. And those who read or hear those claims are left wondering whom to trust and what to believe.

When it comes to speaking for God, we need to fact check what we hear. And we do that in the Bible. The Bible comes straight from the mouth of God, who cannot lie. The Bible is one unified truth. What we believe about God, about life and death, about heaven and hell, must be in line with what is written in the Bible.

We never want to deviate from that truth. That truth points us to Jesus, who called himself “the Truth.” Jesus came to fulfill the truth of God’s demands for perfection. Jesus came to live the truth of God’s love for the world. Jesus came to show that all of God’s promises are true by giving his life to restore us to God and then rising from the dead to give us life with him. No truth is more profound. No truth is more beautiful or praiseworthy. No truth is more true.

May God give us courage and joy to live our lives to know and share the tremendous truth of his Word.

Prayer:
Father, open my mind and heart to know the truth. May all that I do work for the truth and never against it. Amen.

“Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test? And I trust that you will discover that we have not failed the test.”
2 Corinthians 13:5,6

Examine Yourself

An examination can be a scary thing, whether it is a performance review at work, a final test for an important class, a medical test to see what’s making you feel so sick, or an interview to see whether you have what it takes to do the job.

Honest self-examination can be even scarier. Yet the Bible tells us to examine ourselves. And what do you find when you do? Do you find thoughts and desires and cravings that you are ashamed of, that you hope no one else ever knows about? Do you find attitudes and emotions that reveal how unloving you can be to others? Do you find doubts and fears where you know there should be faith and confidence? As you look inside and examine yourself, do you find, as I do, a lot that doesn’t make God happy, a lot that doesn’t meet his expectations?

But today’s verses shift our focus. They urge us to ask different questions, as we examine ourselves. Didn’t Jesus die to pay for your sins? Hasn’t he forgiven you for everything you’ve done wrong? Didn’t Jesus rise from the dead to assure you that you will live with him in heaven?

You can answer yes to all of those questions. After looking inside ourselves to honestly assess the condition of our hearts, God wants us to examine what Jesus did outside of us and for us. He conquered sin and death for us. His blood covers every one of our sins. His holiness is his gift to us. Know that. Believe that.

When God, through the Bible’s message, leads you to trust that Jesus has done those things for you, Christ Jesus himself lives in you. He gives you confidence in your Creator, trust in the treasures of his mercy, peace in his perfect pardon, and the hope of a home in heaven. When Christ lives in you, God gives you a perfect score on the entrance exam to eternal life with him!

Prayer:
Jesus, live in me to bless me with your forgiveness and eternal peace with God. Amen.

“Therefore, O house of Israel, I will judge you, each one according to his ways, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall. Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, people of Israel? For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent and live!”
Ezekiel 18:30-32

Repent and Live

When my children were little, one of the rules was, “Do not play in the street.” This rule restricted their freedom and limited their place to play. But this rule also protected them. Playing in the street could result in their injury or even death. Whenever I saw one of my children wander into the street, I would call him back. I called him back because I loved him.

Our heavenly Father also gives us rules for our lives—do not lie, do not hate, do not steal, do not commit adultery, and many more. These rules restrict our freedom. But he gives us these rules to protect us. He knows what is best for us. He knows that when we go against his rules, we are in danger of being injured—physically or spiritually. He knows that when we go against his rules, we ruin our relationship with him. Going against God’s rules leads to eternal separation from him, to eternal death. This is why, when we go against God’s rules, he calls us back. He calls us back because he loves us. “Repent and live!” says the Lord.

And when we do, when we turn away from our sin and turn to our Father for forgiveness, we can be sure we have it. After all, he was willing to give up his own Son to pay the price for our sins. He is always willing and eager to assure us that we are forgiven when we turn from our sin and turn to him for forgiveness.

Whatever sin is putting you in danger this day, turn from it. Repent and live!

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank you for warning me about the things that endanger my life and my soul. Thank you for calling me to repentance. And thank you for assuring me of your forgiveness when I do repent. Please provide the strength I need to repent and live! Amen.